/01FFGI
A generic mascot becomes the face of a film community.
MAYA UPAYABRAND DESIGNER & CREATIVE LEAD
MAKE ITMATTER.
I build brands for crypto, fintech and the people behind them. From the first direction to the final asset, I stay close to the work.
EXPLORE MY WORK ↘CREATIVE DIRECTION / DESIGN / AI WORKFLOWSBRAZIL → GLOBAL TEAMS
IDENTITY / CAMPAIGNS / CHARACTER SYSTEMSSELECTED
SELECTED
WORK.
A closer look at what changed
and what each team can use.
/01
/02Picnic
A distinct identity and a repeatable campaign language.
/03Revani
One recognisable identity across a growing health ecosystem.
/04Gift Horse
A character the team can keep creating with.
/05Mestre Kronos
A consistent guide for the product and its content.
The identity.
Logos, type, colour and guidelines that hold together across presentations, campaigns and physical applications.
FFGI: identity through application ↗The campaign.
Key visuals, social content, decks and print. I work through the headline, the layout and the details of each format.
Picnic: a campaign family ↗The direction.
I set a direction, give clear feedback and work through the execution. At IBC Group, I oversaw creative output across multiple Web3 brands.
Revani: an identity the team can build on ↗CREATIVE LEADERSHIP, IN PRACTICEIBC GROUP / JAYA TALENT
I DESIGN.
I DIRECT.
I DELIVER.
At Jaya Talent, I made editable templates for LinkedIn, Telegram and Instagram. At IBC Group, I oversaw creative output across brands and introduced a daily request update so managers could see the workload and set priorities.
Clear files and clear conversations are part of the job.
SEE MY EXPERIENCE ↗LET’S GET
THE BRIEF
RIGHT.
A useful starting point: who is this for, what do they need to understand, and where will they see it?
FROM BRIEF TO DELIVERYHERE’S HOW
HERE’S HOW
I APPROACH IT.
GET THE BRIEF STRAIGHT
Start with the audience and the job.
I need to understand the product, the audience and what the design has to do. The channel, deadline and existing brand matter too.
MAKE A CASE
Show the idea and the reasoning.
I use references, sketches and applications to make the direction concrete. Revani’s owl started with a decision about who it should represent.
DESIGN THE SYSTEM
Work out what stays consistent.
I develop the type, colour, symbols and layouts together. FFGI’s guidelines show how those decisions carry across different applications.
TAKE IT INTO PRODUCTION
Make the next piece easier to produce.
Editable templates, reusable assets and clear guidance help a team keep working. That was part of my work at Jaya Talent and IBC Group.
MAYA UPAYA / UPAYAI’M MAYA.
I’M MAYA.
LET’S TALK
DESIGN.
I’m Maya Upaya, a brand designer and creative lead based in Brasília. I take projects from the brief to the final assets, and help teams keep the work focused and consistent.
GOOD WORK NEEDS
OTHER PEOPLE.
AI makes it easy to disappear into my own little cave and make everything myself. I can do it. I don’t want that to become my whole working life.
I like exchanging ideas, having my assumptions challenged, and working with people whose lives look different from mine. That contact with the world is part of what I bring to design.
I’m looking for a team where ideas move between people. I want to shape the work and keep making it myself.
So, are you my team? ↗IBC Group
Aug–Nov 2025Senior Brand & Graphic Designer
Oversaw creative output across Web3 brands, led rebrands and presentation work, and developed GPT agents for mascot generation. Introduced a daily request update to make workloads and priorities visible to managers.
Jaya Talent
Jul–Sep 2025Senior Creative Designer
Created an identity and editable templates for LinkedIn, Telegram and Instagram. A two-month contract with a Web3 recruitment company, followed by a referral to IBC Group.
Origem Electric Motorcycles
Oct 2022–Aug 2024Branding & Creative Director
Reworked the brand’s communication for a broader audience. Built templates, an icon library and campaign layouts, and designed ads, event materials and investor presentations.
UNAIDS, Latin America
Dec 2015–Dec 2018Lead Campaign Designer & Creative Director
Led campaign work from concept through delivery, translating sensitive public-health subjects into accessible digital, print and event materials.
Upaya Design
Feb 2015–PresentFounder & Lead Designer
Brand identities, campaigns and communication design for organisations across 20+ countries. Now taking on selected projects while looking for a long-term role within a team.
MY WORKFLOWFROM THE CALL
FROM THE CALL
TO THE LAUNCH.
Claude and ChatGPT are part of my daily process, from making sense of a brief to building a website. Here’s where the tools fit.
Start with the conversation.
Fathom for meeting notes and briefing. Claude and ChatGPT to organise the material, explore questions and develop the direction.
Turn the direction into work.
Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and Figma, with AI throughout exploration and production. Identity systems, campaign assets, character variations and presentation design.
Put the work into use.
Websites built with AI assistance, plus editable decks in Keynote, PowerPoint and Google Slides. I work through the content, design and delivery.
Give the team a way forward.
ChatGPT character workflows, reusable assets and templates let teams create their next piece of content from an established direction.
See the character workflow ↗A FEW MORE
FAMILIAR FACES.
LET’S
WORK
TOGETHER.
I’m looking for a full-time remote role with a Web3, crypto or fintech team. I’m open to senior design and creative lead roles. Tell me what your team is building and where you need someone to take ownership.